Wiener questions camera requirements for liquor licenses

The common police practice of recommending that any business applying for a liquor license also install security cameras is being challenged by at least one San Francisco supervisor.

Supervisor Scott Wiener has raised questions about four recent liquor licenses requiring video surveillance at entry points and outside the premise, and ordering owners to keep the electronic recording for 30 days to turn over to police if requested. Two years ago, police proposed that all entertainment venues have security cameras, but it was derailed by privacy concerns.

Now it appears that the debate between civil liberties and safety is poised to resume, as Wiener and Supervisor David Campos said they want to have a hearing on surveillance.

“I’m not philosophically opposed to electronic recording, it can be very helpful in some areas,” said Wiener at a City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee meeting Thursday. “I have an issue with the police department at some point inserting this on their own without that broader policy discussion.”

Police Inspector Rich Van Koll said that while the state department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has final say on the requirement, police have generally been recommending cameras since their ABC Liaison Unit was formed in 2010.

“It’s worked out very well, catching criminals on many occasions,” he said. “For a year and a half they haven’t had any objections or any comments about it.”